The past decade has seen a statistically significant uptick in reports

During review, it can be worth it to review the passage paragraph by paragraph. The first paragraph introduces bacterial "super-bugs" with some alarm. The second paragraph increases the alarm, noting how "many scientists argue that the human race has more to fear from viruses." This paragraph describes the way in which viruses hijack the cell, in order to illustrate how tough viruses are to treat. The last paragraph continues the comparison and puts a stake in the ground: "bacteria lack the potential for cataclysm that viruses have." This last point is illustrated by the "near-miss" we have had with the HIV pandemic.

(A) We are never told how bacteria infect the body. This is one way in which the two "bad guys" (bacteria and viruses) are not treated in parallel ways in the text. Again, the way in which viruses infect cells is described in order to show how hard it is to kill viruses.

(B) The hijacking process is certainly described, but to make a larger point: why it's hard to eradicate viruses, in comparison with bacteria.

(C) After reading this passage, you may want to call up the CDC and donate money, but the passage itself only raises a warning, if even that: it is not a call to action.

(D) The last paragraph does highlight our good fortune, but this is not the larger point of the whole passage.

(E) CORRECT. This passage compares the two threats (bacteria and viruses) and judges viruses to be far more important (after all, viruses have the "potential for cataclysm")

Ans :E


Ans:A




This Specific Detail question requires us to determine what is true about "intracellular obligate parasites" (or IOPs, to give them a temporary abbreviation). Going back to the passage, we read this: Whereas bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission, viruses lack the necessary structures for reproduction, and so are known as “intracellular obligate parasites.” The word "so" toward the end tells us that the reason viruses are called IOPs is that they "lack the necessary structures for reproduction." We are looking for this idea, perhaps slightly restated.

(A) CORRECT. If we know that viruses "lack the necessary structures for reproduction," then we know that they cannot reproduce (or propagate themselves) on their own.Also it states :Virus particles called virions must marshal the host cell’s ribosomes, enzymes, and other cellular machinery in order to propagate.This also implies it propages using virions.

(B) What we are told about virions is that they are "virus particles" and that they "must marshal the host cell's... cellular machinery in order to propagate." However, we don't know that the viruses are themselves then assembled out of virions. Moreover, IOPs seem like a more general class of thing than viruses, and so we wouldn't be able to conclude that something true about viruses would necessarily be true of all IOPs.

(C) We know that bacteria reproduce themselves asexually, in contrast to how viruses do so, but that doesn't mean that viruses necessarily do so sexually.

(D) Certain bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics, but we don't know that this is true of IOPs.

(E) This choice mixes up language from the passage. Viruses need reproductive structures, and they destroy host cells, but that doesn't mean that they first structures, and they destroy host cells, but that doesn't mean that they first destroy the host cells, then make reproductive structures out of the carcasses. (In fact, what they do is hijack living host cells, taking over their cellular machinery.)

Ans: A.

1. The main purpose of the passage can be expressed most accurately by which of the following?

(A) To contrast the manner by which bacteria and viruses infect the human body and cause cellular damage
Incorrect, The passage doesn't mention how bacteria infect the human body.

(B) To explain the operations by which viruses use cell machinery to propagate
Incorrect, The passage doesn't describe such operations, also partial scope.

(C) To argue for additional resources to combat drug-resistant bacteria and easily transmissible pathogenic viruses
Incorrect, This is opposite to what the passage is trying to communicate.

(D) To highlight the good fortune experienced by the human race, in that the HIV pandemic has not been more lethal.
Incorrect, A minor detail, not the central idea of the passage.

(E) To compare the relative dangers of two biological threats and judge one of them to be far more important.
Correct, by POE and this is the jist of the passage that viruses pose more danger than antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


2. It can be inferred from the passage that infections by bacteria

Straight B, the reference lines in the text are:
'Because of this, viral infections cannot be treated ex post facto in the same way as bacterial infections'...

3. According to the passage, intracellular obligate parasites

(A) are unable to propagate themselves on their own
Correct, reference lines from the passage:
'...known as “intracellular obligate parasites.” Virus particles called virions must marshal the host cell’s ribosomes, enzymes, and other cellular machinery in order to propagate...'

(B) assemble their components randomly out of virions
Incorrect, distortion of words in the text.

(C) reproduce themselves through sexual combination with host cells
Incorrect, not supported by the passage, the passage only mentions that parasites use host cell’s ribosomes, enzymes, and other cellular machinery to reproduce.

(D) have become resistant to antibiotics through the overuse of these drugs
Incorrect, Bacteria have become resistant not the viruses.

(E) construct necessary reproductive structures out of destroyed host cells
Incorrect, distortion of details, the host cells get destroyed after reproduction.

For the 3rd question, narrowed own to 2 choices:

and


Now is C wrong just for this part of the option: with host cells ?

How is A correct? It is mentioned

Dows this mean intracellular obligate parasites are viruses and thus the next line from passage which refers to virus also applies to intracellular obligate parasites:


Thanks!

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